The Secret to Decorating a Small Space on a Budget

What do studios apartments and college dorms have in common? Small living space and money is probably scarce. On top of that the struggle is real when you are trying to decorate that space without it feeling over cluttered, mixed matched, no design, no direction. Basically a cluster f$#k. All while trying to stay on a budget. Look I get it i was there. I had a small jack and jill apartment with my bestie and it had no sense of direction, because lets face it money is tight and your girl cant afford a interior designer or an budget consultant when trying to make ends meat with a part-time job and school. However, I do know a few tips and tricks to save on cost that will help you start decorating a small space on budget easily. So let’s get into it.

Clutter & Function

First lets start with the function and organization.The first thing to decorating a small space on a budget is to figure out what goes and what stays. In order for your space to not to feel cluttered and disorganized you must make sure every piece has a function. No point in having crap that doesn’t have a purpose, especially if its a big piece. Go through your space and make sure every item has part to play if they don’t toss it or better yet sell it on a resell app. Good way to make extra dough for your decor.

However, don’t go crazy throwing everything away. Remember we are on a budget so we need to work with what we have, but we don’t want to use items that have no purpose. The great thing about this is that it maximizes space and you may end up keeping some pieces that cuts the cost on the budget. 

Choosing a Design Style

Most people know or have an idea what they gravitate towards when it come to home decor. The items you like are usually linked up in a way and that link is based off a style or two. If you don’t know your design style yet, try using this fun quiz to help you.

It quick, easy, and FREE. Check the link below to start your quiz. Another good way to figure out your style is by creating a board on Pinterest. Look through all the pins you saved and see what links them or what they all have in common. 

Now that you now your design style its time to work it into the items that you already have. That is one of the key things about designing on a budget. Making use of items you already have. The awesome thing about design is that you can mix and match styles. If your design style is farmhouse and you have a leather couch you can use accessories for the couch to integrate it into the farmhouse theme.

Also, if a sofa’s color or pattern is way off from your design look, use a slip cover that ties in to the design theme. Super easy and affordable but will make a big change to the look of the room and help tie in the accessories in the space. Speaking of accessories, when picking them make sure that there is consistency in the items you pick. You can choose gold accents that touch each piece or every other piece. We want flow and consistency in your space.

Shopping on a Budget

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What I’m on a budget. I don’t have the money to shop. Don’t worry I feel you, but its kind of escapable. However, I do know places to shop and some quick tips when it comes to shopping on a budget for decor. 

Hobby Lobby

One of my favorite stores for home decor is Hobby Lobby. It has a plethora of home decor pieces. The best part its affordable. But my best tip to get even more saving is to check their AD. They always have weekly deals and they alternate on the deals. So if you have an industrial theme check to see if the metal hoe decor is on sale, and so on.

Target

Target is another affordable place to shop for home decor. I usually go to the clearance area and they always have some good finds. Tip: Never buy a new release item because they always tend to go on sale right before they release new items. Get in the know with target. Sign up for their Red card debit. There is no credit check and whenever you purchase anything you get 5% off and check out the Cartwheel app if they have a deal on home decor and furniture it takes an additional percentage off on top of the red card savings. Double whammy. 

Etsy

If you have a few frames then Etsy is the place to go. There are so many print available for almost every style. The best part is that the start around 3$ and you can download and print right from your computer. Talk about a steal. That $40 wall art you wanted is know $10 or less. If your style is a mix of rustic and minimalist check out my shop for some downloadable prints. 

Micheal’s Craft Store

Micheal’s Craft store has good options for decorative home decor. They always have sales on it and if they don’t they have a 40% regular priced items on the regular. 

Garage Sales

Lastly, you really can find some good decor finds at garage sales. Even larger furniture that only needs a fresh coat of paint. This give you a unique piece only to you.  This is definitely an option when decorating a small space on a budget.

Pulling Your Space Together

Once you have your space clutter free with your saved pieces, and you have a game plan of where to shop. Its time to bring the space together with your choices. This is usually the fun part. Seeing your design come to life. I know its my favorite part of the process. Remember when placing your decor pieces everything should have balance and consistency. Bye bye cluster f$#k, hello oasis.

I hope this was helpful in anyway to you and that you had fun designing. Decorating a small space on a budget is not hard, but having a game plan makes it so much more easier. Please comment and share this post to your favorite Pinterest board. Don’t for get to subscribe to my mailing list where you get updates on new post and content not on the blog. Plus you gain access to the resource library with tons of fun and useful printables. Till next time, peace out.

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